Bourbon-Brown Sugar Bacon

A couple of years ago, I discovered the wonder that is oven bacon. Growing up, the only way that bacon was ever made in our house was in the microwave. It has its merits – it’s quick, easy and has virtually no clean-up; however, once I realized how absurdly awesome it is to make bacon in the oven, I’ve never looked back.

For Sunday dinner this past week, we grilled hamburgers and had a spread of pasta salad, potato salad and fruit salad since it was a holiday weekend. On Sunday morning, my husband showed me a recipe he saw on Food and Wine for a hot brown burger that included slices of bourbon-brown sugar bacon. He really, really wanted me to make that bacon for our burgers, and it was only a matter of seconds before I had the oven preheating!

This might be the most amazing bacon I’ve ever eaten, and I’ve eaten A LOT of bacon. The bourbon flavor is super subtle and the brown sugar caramelizes on the bacon, making it taste almost (almost) like candy. It was absolutely phenomenal on our burgers, and it would be just as good on any sandwich, in a salad, or along with your morning eggs… or on its own for an awesome snack.

Now I just need to recreate that entire burger and I think my life will be complete!

Love this recipe! My only change is that I drained the bacon on paper plates because the first batch of it stuck to the paper towels. Otherwise, my husband and I made it for our family for Christmas and everyone loved it!

If you love oven baked bacon, you have to try making bacon on the grill outdoors. My husband glazes it with maple syrup and then cracks black pepper on it. It is amazing! My extended family loves this when it is on our brunch menu.

My mother turned me on to cooking bacon in the oven about 100 years ago. If you are careful you get wonderful results. if not that, standing over the frying pan and watching and turning. I found I get the worst results from microwave (i’m sorry). I’ve tried it with the brown sugar and no bourbon and it was very good. Thanks for all you do Michelle!

Now I’m hungry! There’s nothing better than bacon! I have actually never tried making bacon in the oven…although in all the restaurants I’ve worked in, bacon is cooked in the oven. I need to give it a try!